Acetylene-gas generator.



No. 729,510. I PATENTED MAY 26, 1903. H; L. PYLE. AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLIOATIQN FILED JUNE 3, 19-02. N0 MODEL. 2 SEEETS SKEET 1.

No. 729,510. \PATENTED MAY 26, 1903. H.L.PYLE.

' AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLIOATION IILBD JUNE 3. 1902. F0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented May 23, 1903;

PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD L. PYLE, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

ACETYLENE-GAS GEN ERATOR;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,510, dated May 26, 1903. Application filed June s. 1902. serial No. 110,116. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD L. PYLE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Wilmington, in the county of Newcastle and State of Delaware, haveinventednew and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Gas Generators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to acetylene-gas gen erators, and the object thereof-is to provide in this class of machines a constructionfeeding devices may be attained and inci-- dentally to which construction the gas-holding chamber in the generator may also be kept within a much-narrower range of pressures than has heretofore been possible to my knowledge; and, broadly, the invention consists in providing ,a generating-chamber of relatively small area which alone receives the pressure of the initial generationof gas when a charge of carbid=is delivered,-this generating-chamber being provided with outlets the area of which increases from the up-.v

per part of said chamber toward the lower, whereby increasing gas-pressure will, by the forcing downward of the column of water in said generating-chamber, uncover gas-outlets having proportionately larger areas than those available for the escape of gas under a lower pressure.

Figure 1 of the drawings is an elevation, partly in section, of an acetylene-gas-generating apparatus applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, on an: enlarged scale, of the lower end of the carbid-liolder, a diaphragm and its actuating-spring, and means of connection between the diaphragm and the valve movable across the neck of the carbid-holder.

While the drawings in this case show the application of myinvention to a specific type of apparatus, it is equally applicable to other types.

Referring now to the drawings, a indicates the water-reservoir of a gas-generating apparatus of the class referred to, the upper portion of which reservoir, above the waterlevel therein, constitutes the gas-holding chamber, whichis indicated byb, and from which chamber, through an outlet-pipe 0, gas is taken to the burner. Relief-chambers d in the form of two stand-pipes enter the reservoir athrough the top thereof, the ends of theserelief-chambers being openand ex tending more or less below the normal level of the water in said reservoir a. Ordinarily the upper .ends of these relief-chambers are connected together by a pipe e, which is an escape-pipe'having a branch leading to the atmosphere. These relief-chambers d are, as is well known, for the reception of the water in the reservoir a, which may be forced into said chambersby gas-pressure, the height of the chambers determining the maximum pressurewhich may be accumulated in the apparatus.

f indicates the usual carbid-holder communicatingwith the reservoir a, as usual, and between the carbid-holder and said reservoir there is a valve-casing c having avalve therein for controlling the feed of the carbid, which valve is operated by a diaphragm-h, which closes it and is opened by'a suitable spring h,-Fig. 2, when thegas pressure is reduced tosuch a 'pointas to permit the spring to opcrate. When the spring h moves the diaphragm to open the valve 71 the latter is operated by means of an arm 71, pivotally supported within the casing and connected by one end to said valve and by its opposite end with thecentrally-located stem 71, of the diaphragm. These parts are indicated in the drawings merely to illustrate a complete apparatus and. are shown only as types, the invention not being necessarily associated with this particular type of generator or of valveoperating mechanism. 1

The tubular connection 1', which extends from the carbid-holder f to the reservoir a, is continued through the top of the latter and is therein enlarged to form the initial'gencrating-chamber j, whose lower end is open and which extends downward to a point somewhat below the lower ends of the relief-chambers d. The casing of the diaphragm h is in direct communication with said generating chamber j through a suitable passage in the valve-casing g, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby the diaphragm is subjected only to the action of the pressure within the initial generating chamber j. In the walls of this chamber there are gas-outlets 7:, which are located above the normal water-line in the reservoir a, and through these outlets 7:- the generating-chamber j and the gas-holding chamber 1) are therefore normally in communication one with the other. Below the outlets k are other gas-outlets, m, located in the same horizontal plane, whose united areas exceed the total areas of the gas-outlets 7a.

In the drawings the level of the water within the generating-chamberj indicates the po-' sition it would occupy when said chamber is carrying substantially its maximum pressure under which the gas will escape not only through the outlets 70, but also through the outlets on, whereby said pressure will be quickly reduced, the gas issuing from the outlets m passing up through the water into the gas-holding chamber 1). During the operation of the apparatus, therefore, there would be present three levels of water, viz: that found in the relief-chambers d, that found in the reservoir a, and that found within the initial generating-chamber j. The levels in the reservoir a and in the generating-chamberj show relative changes of position for a brief period onlythat is, during such time as is required for the pressure inj to become equalized with the pressure in the gas-holding chamber Z).

The level of water within the relief-chain bers (Z is governed entirely by the average pressure in the upper part b of the reservoir to and in the generating-chamberj.

It is a well-known fact that in all acetylenegas generators there takes place at the opening and closing movements of the carbidfeeding devices a slight feeding of carbid, owing to the slow action of the devices in opening or in cutting off this feed, operated, as they must be, by pressure which is relatively slow in accumulating. This more or less prolonged dropping of carbid into the generating-chamberj would, if the outlets 7.: were not present, eventually accumulate a pressure of gas which would drive the column of water within said chamber j low enough to uncover the outlets m, when the confined gas would escape with a rush, thus subjecting the apparatus to more or less violent fluctuations of pressure within the gas-holding chamber; but these outlets 7c always being in communication with said chamber Z) these accumulations within the chamberj become impossible, and these outlets 76 are so proportioned that even when the maximum charge of carbid is dropped they afford such means of escape that an abnormal pressure in said chamber cannot occur. It is obvious, therefore, that with these outlets It on the one hand and the relatively small volume of water contained within the chamber j on the other hand a quickly-generated Voleasily expansible, and there can be, therefore, no resulting back pressure on the diaphragm which would give the valve-closin g devices a quick or jolting movement, these devices only being operated to the fullest extent when the pressure of gas within the chamber 1) and the chamber j has. been substantially equalized. Thus the relatively small column of water within the chamber j acts as a sort of easily-yielding cushion to protect, on the one hand, the devices for controlling the feed of carbid from violen t or irregular action and, on the other hand, maintaining the pressure within the gas-holding chamber 1) at a point which varies but very slightly from the normal either way, and the result of the construction, as demonstrated by long practice in actual use, is great steadiness of the lights supplied from this apparatus and the quiet, positive, and regular action of the devices controlling the carbid feed! It is to be noted that in indicating the gasoutlets k and m in the drawings the attempt has not been made to show the relative areas thereof, or the relative position thereof, or the relative number thereof, as these various characteristics may be varied to adapt the apparatus to varying conditions of work.

In the pipe 0 there is a three-way valve 0, and communicating with this valve and with the escape-pipe e is a pipe 0 the pipe 0 being shown broken 01f above this valve 0. three-way valve is so arranged, as usual in machines of this type, that when. the valve is turned in one direction a straight passage through the pipe 0 to the burner is provided, and when it is turned in another direction or in a greater degree in the same direction the lower end of the pipe 0, communicating with the gas-reservoir b, is placed in communication with the vent-pipe c and communi- This cation between the pipe 0 and the burnercut off.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In acctylene-gas-generating apparatus, a water-resewoir having a gas-holding space therein, a generating-chamber of relatively small transverse area supported in said reservoir in contact with the water, there beingin said generating-chamber gas-outlets located in different planes certain of which are normally in communication with said gasholding space, and certain of which are normally sealed by the water in the reservoir, in combination with a carbid-holder and a valve therefor, and means operated by'the pressure in said gencrating-chamber for moving said valve.

2. In an acetylene-gas-generating apparatus, a water-reservoir having a gas-holding space therein, a generating-chamber of relatively small transverse area supported in said reservoir, there being gas-openings in the wall of said generatingchambers normally communicating with said gas-holding space, and

there being other openings through the wall of said chamber normally sealed by the water in said reservoir, a relief-chamber for said reservoir, and means for feeding carbid into said generating-cha1nber,in combination with a carbid-holder and a valve therefor, and means operated by the pressure in said generating-chamber for moving said valve.

3. In an acetylene-gas-generating apparatus, a water-reservoir having a gas-holding space therein, a generating-chamber of relatively small transverse area supported in said reservoir in contact with the water, a carbidholder, a valve therefor and a diaphragm, 0perated solely by the pressure in the generating-chamber, to move said valve in one di* rection, said generating-chamber having gasopenings in the walls thereof of different areas, and located in different planes, certain ofsaid openings communicating nor= mally with said gas-holding space, and certain other of said openings being normally sealed by the water, whereby pressure in said chamber by displacing the water, may un cover said sealed openings.

HOWARD L. PYLE.

Witnesses:

WM. H. GHAPIN, K. I. CLEMoNs. 

